DOT Ferry Tolls Proposal Draws Ire on OBX

Some of the budget cuts under consideration by state lawmakers could lead to increased tolls for ferry services on the Outer Banks. The state Department of Transportation has come up with budget options for the state Ferry Division. One proposal would charge a 10-dollar toll for ferry services that are currently free, and double the price of other ferries. Residents of Ocracoke Island aren't happy with that idea.

John Bone is the president and CEO of the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce:

"The free ferry to Ocracoke has been free forever and it's the only way they have to get to their island without having to pay a substantial toll."

More than 850,000 passengers used that ferry last year. It's the busiest ferry service on the Outer Banks. The DOT says the tolls would raise more than 10-million dollars a year. A House subcommittee meets tomorrow to consider transportation issues, including budget cuts to the state Ferry Division.

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Residents along the coast are getting a reprieve from ferry toll increases. Governor Bev Perdue has issued an executive order to delay the new tolls that were set to go into effect in April.

Dave DeWitt: The State Legislature last year told the Department of Transportation to generate $5 million in new revenue by increasing or charging new tolls on ferries. People who live in and around the ferries at Bayview, Cedar Island, Cherry Branch, Southport and Swan Quarter spoke out against the tolls.

The North Carolina Ferry Division says service remains spotty between Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. State transportation officials have been suspending service on a daily basis since a series of storms in November. Ferry Division spokeswoman Lucy Wallace says the channel routinely experiences shallow waters after high winds and heavy rain: